We were joined on the Popternative show by Mekki Leeper (Jury Duty) and Kahyun Kim (Cocaine Bear) who star as Matt and Serena in the hit mockumentary sitcom St. Denis Medical on NBC. Now in its second season, and already renewed for a third, the series follows the chaotic lives of the staff at an Oregon hospital.
Co-created by Eric Ledgin and Justin Spitzer (Superstore), the ensemble cast also includes Wendi McLendon-Covey (The Goldbergs), Allison Tolman (Why Women Kill), Josh Lawson (House of Lies), David Alan Grier (Joe Pickett), and Kaliko Kauahi (Superstore).
The latest episode, Season 2, Episode 17, which aired on March 30, finally delivered a moment fans have been waiting for. Since Season 1, Matt has harbored a crush on his colleague Serena, with Season 2 leaning into the slow-building “will-they-won’t-they” dynamic between them. While Serena initially didn’t return his feelings, her perspective gradually shifted, adding even more tension, and anticipation, to their evolving relationship.
Leeper and Kim both feel their real-life friendship carries over naturally on-screen, making their interactions feel authentic and genuine. “I think they write it so well. It’s just fun to develop [the relationship] with such a good friend. [Mekki and I] already have real life chemistry in that way and we get to show that, and it does peep through, especially when we have real moments [where] we’re actually laughing at each other. That’s really fun to watch,” Kim says.
On playing a naive nurse with many comical scenes, Leeper says, “I just think that it’s easy to play Matt [as this] naive [guy] and getting lost in what’s happening because everybody else is creating real dynamics in front of him. Whether it’s a professional thing at the hospital, or [something] happening a little bit too fast for him to process, or trying to figure out what to do with Serena [as] a romantic interest for him. It’s easy [for me] to play overwhelmed because everybody else is so good.”
The duo also talk about how the show balances comedy with heartfelt moments by leaning into authentic, if sometimes quirky, human reactions which everyone can relate to. Watch the full conversation with Mekki Leeper and Kahyun Kim below.
The Season 2 finale of St. Denis Medical airs on Monday, April 6 on NBC at 8/7 c.
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